nybowhunter

Number 1 rule at our camp after anybody shoots:

Do not get out of your stand until somebody (only 1 guy) comes over to assist. Depending on stand locations, this can take up to an hour by the time the guy gets down from his stand and walks over to the shooters stand. Using a radio, the shooter directs him to the point of impact as he looks for blood. Once he is certain to where the deer went and the blood is marked, the shooter can then get down to decide howto proceed. It is very true about the woods changing once you get down. Since we have all hunted together and hung out for about 30 years, we are all more that willing to help each other out. Also, once the deer is found, you have a buddy to celebrate with!

Austin/WI

This is is a good way to do it - I like this idea.

NY Bowhunter

Another one I was thinking about the other day...... This pertains to hunting with someone less experienced than you.

You can do your part (for the deers sake) if you hunt with someone else that shoots a deer. Most of the time your buddy will notify you (via cell phone) that they shot one. A lot of times their adrenaline is going a zillion miles per hour. You can reinforce the "right" thing to do at that moment. Don't let them run down the stand and start tracking the animal. Kind of slow them down and have them chill out. Have them wait untill you get there or walk out of the woods and meet someplace away from their stand so you can talk about it and put your heads together. It just seems like the natural reaction for a hunter who hasn't shot a lot of deer is to go gettheir deer afterthey shoot it as soon as possible. Force them to think it through with you. A LOT of deer are lost by new hunters simply because they take up the trail too early.

BrokenArrow29

Hey all, I'm new to these forums but been finding some interesting info as I lurk around. I found this post to be very informational, and I just felt like I should share an experience I had last weekend bowhunting. I got my first oppertunity at a mature doe with my new bow I bought right before the start of the season. It was a 18yd broadside shot,the arrow placement was right behind the shoulder, but high up towards the backstrap. She was a little nerverous before the shot and I believe she might have done the typical drop before the arrow got there! Anyways I still felt pretty confident because I have recovered deer in the past with a simular shot,still caught lung on the angle! When I got down with my 2 other buddies, we could not find the arrow and not one drop of blood between where I shot her in the field and where she ran into the wood line(approx.35-40yds)where I could of swore I herd her crash and pyle up after the shot! I went back the next morning and searched high and low for blood and arrow both in the field and a good 60yds into the woods! I could not find nothing at all! My buddy seems to think I missed and shot over her back and my arrow is in the high grass section that she was standing on the edge of when I shot! I wish I did miss complety,but I wish I could have at least found the arrow so I would know for sure! Even if it was not a passthrough there should have been blood somewhere along the line,right?Well I guess I'll never really know the real answer,which stinks,but I guess thats part of bowhunting!

rybohunter

I’ve always disagreed with this statement. I think too many people are too quick to “say oh well that’s part of it”

Just a couple more questions about your deer? How long & over how much area do you look for her? Please tell me it was more than 60 yds into the woods.

It’s rare and odd, but sometimes even on a GREAT shot, there is little or no blood. I shot a doe a couple weeks ago, perfect double lung. She ran a huge circle and ended up covering 150 yds (half of which I was able to watch her) There was no blood at impact, or for the initial 15-20 yds that I looked. We picked up the trail at the 80-100 yd mark where there was still no blood, just leaves kicked up and broken twigs where she ran. It was this sign that we used to trail her, finally finding a few drops of blood before finding her 150 yds away from the impact point. You sometimes have to rely on more than just blood to track a deer.

BrokenArrow29

I tried to stay on the trail that I thought she took after entering the woods for about 60yds looking for blood (kicked up leaves and such)!After not being able to find blood I came to a point where she could have went anywhere,I only had a little bit further to go until I would run into the creek that runs along the backside of the property border,I figured if she was hit she would go for water,but no dice! I could not go further than the creek because I would be entering the neighboring property,which the owner made very clear not to traspass on early on in preseason!So at that point I was out of options!Thats when I started convincing myself that maybe I did miss and my arrow is just lost in the 4 foot high grass!So thats what I ment when I said I'll never know the real truth because I can't find the arrow,which we all know is bowhunting no matter if your arookie or seasoned hunter!Almost every person that has spent some time bowhunting has had some weird and off the wall events happen to them at some time during a hunt!Thats why i say it's part of bowhunting!!!I glad u were able to find your deer and congrats,you had a passthrough double lung shot and she ran all that way with no blood!Wow thats pretty far off textbook of what is supposed to happen,but thats why we enjoy the challange I guess. I know from past experiences how amazing these animals really are and seen first hand of what they can endure and survive through when needed!

rybohunter

I completely agree with you there. Its amazing how tough those arrows can be to find, even on occasions where I found the deer, I've lost arrows that came out along the trail and my best efforts never found them. (Back in the day with those old school camo aluminums & fall colored fletch)

To clarify about the "that's just part of it" phrase, I sometimes think that too many people use that excuse when the effort to find the deer becomes difficult, not saying that was the case here, but just what I seem to have picked up bypeople in general. If they don't find the deer withing 75 yds, "well that's just bowhunting".

Grasshopper13

One thing I'll note here is this. Being color blind, I have an extremely hard time seeing small amounts of blood on the ground. This fact has forced me to pay even more attention to the actual track/ sign a mortally hit deer will leave. Ruffled leaves, tracks in the dirt and other sign like hair or (heaven forbid) guts will lead you to your deer when the blood doesn't flow. This came in handy about 7 or 8 years back when I was on a muzzleloader hunt in north Missouri. The deer up there were heavily feeding on crops, corn and soybeans mostly, and had an absolute enormous amount of fat built up by early november. I shot a huge old doe at about 50 yards with a .45 caliber saboted slug. I knew I had a hit because it literally knocked on to herhaunches with the shot. To my dismay, she got to her feet and left with the herd of deer she was travelling with at the shot. I climbed down, fairly confident I'd find a ton of blood......nope. I called my buddy over and felt sure he could track her because he's found too many deer in the past to count. He couldn't find any either. After I assured him it was a hit, I started walking the way she left and reading the sign on the ground. About 100 yards from the shot, I spotted a couple of scuffed leaves and a dim down trodden path through theweeds where I suspected she had left the other deer. Sure enough about another 75 yards in to the weed patch we found her. The hit was double lung shot but high in the kill zone. I was amazed to find an absolutely HUGE puddle of blood under her where she lay, but we never found a single drop of blood along the trail. What I think happened was a combination of fat cloggingup the wound and her hair soaking most of what leaked out up. It was cold already and she had a thick winter coat. If I hadn't been sure of the hit and then trusted my ability to read regular deer sign, we'd have been hard pressed to find her.

Don't forget the "other" sign as well! Great thread!

GH

squeegee

I also wanted to add that if you see your Deer go down from the Stand or know about where the deer expired, please dont just go that area ... FOLLOW THE BLOOD TRAIL, regardless! You can learn alot like, blood color vs which vitals where hit, how much blood and why, and just how and where to spot blood, ETC. Its rare, free training for the time you dont have the luxury of seeing or knowing where the Deer expired. The more experience Tracking the better you will be.

The Deer Destroyer

Great advice. Esp. for people who are beginning and don't know what to do after a shot.